A group of Wolf Creek Public Schools (WCPS) staff and board trustees, along with superintendent Tim De Ruyck, participated in a tour of Maskwacis on May 6.
De Ruyck had been interested in touring Maskwacis when he first arrived in the fall to start the superintendent position, but the tour was delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions. An educator from Manitoba, he took the reins at WCPS on Sept. 1, 2021.
READ MORE: WCPS appoints new superintendent for fall
The tour was led by Erin Freadrich, First Nations, Mètis and Inuit student success coordinator, as well as Brian Lightning with the Maskwacis Museum.
De Ruyck said he wanted to get to know the communities of Maskwacis better as WCPS serves many Indigenous students.
“I wanted to learn more about them as our neighbours.”
While that’s how the idea of the tour started, it sparked interest in some other division office staff and the board of trustees.
In the end, over 20 people boarded a bus and visited some of the facilities in three of the four First Nations that make up Maskwacis.
They spent quite a bit of time at the Maskwacis Museum, where they viewed artefacts and learned various history, such as how the Nations were named and the progression of the chiefs.
“It was very informative, for sure,” said De Ruyck. “It’s certainly one example of ways we’re wanting to maintain positive relationships with our neighbours.”
He added that such efforts should be ongoing, and the board intends to continue building a strong relationship with Maskwacis into the future as well.
Wolf Creek Public Schools hold activities that align with provincial or national days, such as Orange Shirt Day and Red Dress Day.